


Start A Fire Without A Spark

by thismagichour



Series: Sometimes I Still Feel The Bruise: critrole rsweek 2018 [4]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 16:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15004592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thismagichour/pseuds/thismagichour
Summary: Molly fixes Caleb up after a bar fight, and makes a confession.





	Start A Fire Without A Spark

**Author's Note:**

> My fourth fic and fifth piece for critrole rsweek! Any mistakes are mine, I busted this out in like two hours, so please let me know if there are any glaring typos or anything. While you're here, check out the other pieces in this series.

“May I?” Molly asks, ducking his head to catch Caleb’s eyes. His hands are held out as if to cup Caleb’s face.

“You have never asked before, I do not know why you should start now,” Caleb says. Molly clenches his jaw slightly.

“It has been pointed out to me that maybe I have not always been as delicate with you as I should have been,” Molly says, in a tone that clearly says Beau is the one that pointed it out.

“I do not need to be handled with kid gloves,” Caleb says, his eyes dropping back down to the ground.

“Of course not,” Molly says, bringing his hands in slowly to hold Caleb’s face, “it’s just that I want to avoid—” Molly’s hands make contact, and Caleb minutely flinches away before forcing himself to be still again, “—that.”

“Sorry,” Caleb says, his ears red.

“We all have our damage, it is okay to acknowledge yours,” Molly says. “Now, look down so I can look at that wound.” The blood has matted Caleb’s already dirty hair together, making it difficult to see the actual injury, but after some very careful probing, Molly leans back, his fingertips covered in blood.

“Well, you’re going to have to wash your hair, but the cut itself isn’t that bad. Head wounds bleed a lot. Do you feel dizzy or faint at all?” Caleb shakes his head. Molly puts two fingers under Caleb’s chin and tips his head up. One of Caleb’s pupils is more dilated than the other. 

“Ah,” Molly says lightly, “I think we’re gonna need Jester after all.”

“Is it bad?” Caleb says.

“It could be better,” Molly says.

“Well, I will take this as my lesson to never be alone with you in a tavern again,” Caleb says, “because it will get me hit with a chair.”

“I didn’t start the fight,” Molly argues, “I just finished it.”

“How very brave of you,” Caleb says, dryly. 

“You certainly came out on the worse end, I admit. But look at this way - Nott will never leave you alone with me again,” Molly says, his smile all teeth.

“You are right,” Caleb says, “but the impressive part was that you convinced Fjord to go shopping.”

  
“I may have mentioned that if the girls were to get into trouble, none of them would be able to talk their way out of jail,” Molly says, his grin widening.

“Devious,” Caleb says. Molly looks down at his bloody hands, and begins searching through his bag. Caleb stays sitting on Molly’s bed. Despite his early protests, Caleb is not entirely sure that he would be able to stand. He had taken the full weight of a chair across his head from a very large and hairy half-orc at that tavern, he is honestly surprised he is not dead. He did black out for a brief moment, before he woke to Molly half-dragging him out. 

“I also may have implied to Fjord that if he wanted some time alone with Jester, he’d have to help me get some time with you.” Molly apparently finds what he was looking for, pulls out a stained torn up shirt, a water skin, and a flask. He wipes his hands on the shirt, takes a sip from the flask, offers it to Caleb.

“Why would you want time with me?” Caleb says. He shakes his head at the offer of the flask. Molly hands him the water skin instead. Caleb sips it very slowly. While he does, Molly pours some liquor on the shirt and places it very gently to Caleb’s head. Caleb very deliberately does not wince at the sting.

“I thought that a little time alone in a place without too many people would be a good idea, but I miscalculated a bit, apparently.”

“Okay,” Caleb says, “but why?”

“Truthfully,” Molly says, eyes fixed intently on Caleb’s head wound, “because you are a beautiful thing and I’d like to kiss you, but I don’t think you’d want me to. So I am just trying to spend some time with you.” Caleb does flinch this time. Molly takes his hands off him, and instead fiddles awkwardly with the shirt he’s holding that is now covered in Caleb’s blood.

“That would be a very bad idea even for you and I do not think that is actually what you want,” Caleb says in one breath, trying to scoot back across the bed away from Molly. Molly catches his shoulders gently, stopping him. Molly is holding him loosely enough that if Caleb were to continue to move, Molly would let him go. Caleb stays where he is.

“I know it isn’t something you can even think of right now,” Molly says, “and that’s fine. But it is what _I_ want and I thought I should be honest with you. Don’t worry about it, Caleb, nothing changes for you.”

“I am not a good person,” Caleb says.

“I know,” Molly says.

“I do not deserve to have your affections,” Caleb says.

“And yet,” Molly says.

“And I would…I would like for you to kiss me now,” Caleb says, his face pale. Molly freezes, looks at Caleb incredulously.

“Come again?” He says, his voice high pitched and ragged.

“Would you kiss me?” Caleb says, like he’s forcing the words out as quickly as possible, like he will lose the nerve to say it.

“Are you sure?” Molly says, and his voice cracks. He clears his throat. Caleb nods his head. Molly leans in, very slowly, like he’s trying not to scare off a wild animal. Caleb watches him approach, closes his eyes. Molly presses his lips against Caleb’s ever so gently, and Caleb flinches away, his eyes flying open. Molly smiles sadly at him.

“That’s what I thought,” Molly says, straightening up. Caleb catches the front of his shirt.

“No, I was not ready that time, I am ready now,” Caleb says.

“Caleb—” Molly says.

“Please. Just one more time,” Caleb says, clutching his shirt tighter. Molly presses his lips together, but nods. He leans down, even more slowly this time. Caleb takes Molly’s hand and places it on his face. Molly can feel Caleb’s pulse thundering in his temple. Molly checks in once more with Caleb, who left his eyes open this time, and seeing the affirmation, presses his lips again to Caleb’s. Caleb is stiff to his touch, but he does not flinch. Molly starts to pull away, but Caleb doesn’t let him. Caleb kisses back. Molly feels a pulse of heat go through him, helplessly. Molly brings his other hand to Caleb’s face and Caleb clutches both of his wrists. Caleb opens his mouth against Molly, and Molly shudders. After a moment, Caleb tenses, and pulls away. Molly lets him go.

“I cannot do this,” Caleb says, “I thought I could, I even want to, but I am broken beyond repair.”

“Nothing is broken beyond repair,” Molly says, softly. “But don’t worry, Caleb. Nothing changes for you.”

“I want it to,” Caleb says, hoarsely. They both hear the sound of Jester’s voice calling for them.

“The girls and Fjord are back,” Molly says, “we should probably join them. Get Jester to fix up your head there. I’m fairly sure you’re concussed.”

“Molly,” Caleb starts, but Molly just shakes his head.

“Time for that later,” he says with a smile, and reaches out a hand. “Come on now, let’s get you up. I have to tell the harrowing story of how you saved me from a terrible half orc in a bar fight.”

**Author's Note:**

> catch me @calebwidogasts on tumblr, you probably know the drill by now.


End file.
